Why dogs chase their tails

A dog spinning around and around trying to catch his on tails is often a funny sight. Dogs are playful and tail chasing is not necessarily a problem but in some cases it can turn troublesome, it all depends on the reason why dogs chase their tails. In this post I will give you some reasons off why dogs chase their tails and if this is a problem what you can do to make it stop.

Boredom and too much energySome dogs has a lot of energy and if they don’t get enough time to play they might get bored and they start chasing their own tails just for play. This often happens when they are puppies and often this behavior disappears when they grow older.

There is something wrongWhen dog is chasing his tail and he is trying to nip or chew his tail and he seems irritated then there might be something wrong. He might have fleas or worms or any other kind injury that is bothering him. In this case a trip to the veterinarian for a check up is advised.

Why dogs chase their tails

Breeds and geneticsCertain breeds tend to chase their tails more than others. This seems to be in their genetics so it is not just a silly game. These breeds include Terriers, Bullterriers, German Shepherds and Dobermans.

Compulsive Behavior

Your dog might have a compulsive disorder that makes him chase his tail. This is sort of the same with us humans. Many of us has behaviors like this. For example, we bite our nails, scratch our hands or do something else repeatedly and compulsively, that is we seem to be unable to stop. This is often caused by nervousness.
For a dog chasing his tail can be a compulsive disorder that is caused by experiences such as confinement, abuse or a lack of stimulation and activities.

What to do if your dog dog is chasing his tailIf this is something your dog dog does occasionally and you are sure the problem is not caused by an injury, worms or fleas then you don’t really have to do anything about it. Consider it just like a fun game and leave it.

However, if you suspect the problem is caused by an injury by worms or fleas then you should take your dog dog to the vet for a checkup.

Why dogs chase their tails

When dog is constantly searching for attention and is using tail chasing as a way to get this, then you should simply ignore your dog dog when he does it. When sees it does not work he will most probably stop. When dog is chasing his tails because of boredom then he might simply need some more stimulation. This could be some fun toys or a little more time playing with you or your dog family.
Finally, if your dog dog has a compulsive disorder caused by trauma, injury or abuse in the past (this could be the case with dogs coming from rescue shelters for example) then the problem should be addressed by a dog behaviorist.

I hope this article gave you an idea of why dogs chase their tails and what you can do about it. As always, feel free to leave comments if you have anything you would like to share or ask and if you like this post you can share it on social media by using the buttons on the left.